CRON DINE WITH ME
Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron lark around at G7 dinner after PM’s ‘Mr No Deal’ Brexit blast at Donald Tusk
BORIS Johnson and Emmanuel Macron larked around the dinner table with the other G7 leaders last night, after hitting back at EU President Donald Tusk over his "Mr No Deal" jibe.
The PM made a show-stopping entry as he was greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a working dinner in Biarritz - enthusiastically pointing towards his host who responded with warm laughter.
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Mr Johnson was pictured with the leaders of the G7 enjoying a meal at the Biarritz Lighthouse.
He was earlier snapped in a discussion with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a banquet, hours after exchanging looks in an Europe leaders snap as Mr Tusk was on the opposite end looking over.
When Mr Johnson arrived, PM almost ran onto the tarmac at Biarritz Pays Basque Airport, bounding off the plane full of energy.
He reportedly fed those on board the Royal Air Force plane a treat of scones, jam and cream on the flight over.
And the Tory leader looked ready to take on any doubters, as he took a swipe at Mr Tusk after an earlier dig.
The President of the European Council said yesterday: "The one thing I will not co-operate on is No Deal, and I still hope that Prime Minister Johnson will not like to go down in history as Mr No Deal."
Mr Johnson immediately responded in the blame-game, telling reporters on his aircraft: "I have made it absolutely clear I don't want a no-deal Brexit.
"But I say to our friends in the EU, if they don't want a no-deal Brexit then we have got to get rid of the backstop from the treaty.
"If Donald Tusk doesn't want to go down as 'Mr no-deal Brexit' then I hope that point will be borne in mind by him too."
A No Deal departure from the European Union means leaving without formal arrangements for the future relationship or any transition period.
But in his first official face-to-face - and likely now quite tense - meeting with Mr Tusk this afternoon, Mr Johnson is expected to spell out his commitment to getting the UK out of the EU - deal, or no deal.
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What is the debate surrounding No Deal Brexit?
Currently Britain's trade, customs and immigration rules are tied up with the single market and a host of EU regulatory bodies.
If Brussels doesn't make concessions to the much-debated Irish backstop, Boris Johnson has insisted Britain will leave the EU without an agreement on October 31.
He recently tweeted: "We are ready to work with our friends and partners to deal a deal.
"But if you want a good deal for the UK, you must simultaneously get ready to come out without one."
But Donald Tusk has been a strong proponent of the Irish backstop, opposed by some Brexiteers, arguing it is a necessary instrument if a hard border on the island of Ireland is to be avoided.
Under a No Deal scenario, Britain will crash out of the EU with no transition period to ensure a smooth crossover.
The 310 mile frontier between Northern Ireland and the Republic could become a hard border if no other arrangement is made - which could be catastrophic for the region.
Mr Johnson announced an extra £2.1 billion of funding to prepare for a No Deal, which is doubling the amount of money set aside this year, and tasked Michael Gove with preparing for a No Deal Brexit.
But, as he tries to erase the Irish backstop from the proposed Withdrawal Agreement Mr Johnson reported on positive talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday and Mr Macron on Thursday - the pair indicated the could be willing to ditch the backstop if a practical replacement was found by the UK.
However he admitted getting the changes he wants would not be easy and he was "telling people not to hold their breath" for a breakthrough.
He said: "I have great relations with our friends and partners in the EU and intend to continue to improve them the whole time without getting into any post Brexit eschatology with the president of the council.
"I think it’s Parliament’s job now to respect not just the will of the people but to remember what the overwhelming majority of them promised to do over and over and over again and that is to get Brexit done, to respect the will of the people and to come out of the EU on October 31.
"That is what I am confident our Parliament will do. I am confident that they will understand that their historic function is to respect the will of the people, the democratic mandate, and get it done."
Boris met with Donald Trump this morning over breakfast to discuss Brexit, a future trade deal and working together closer.
The freshly minted PM is expected to tell Mr Trump the NHS is off the table, and insist the UK maintains current standards on animal welfare and food hygiene.
In the past Mr Trump has praised Mr Johnson, calling him "Britain's Trump" and stressing their "very good relationship".
But hours before leaving for Biarritz, Trump reacted angrily to China's move to impose retaliatory tariffs on more US goods - a topic the PM promised to challenge Mr Trump on.
He said: "Don't forget the UK is at risk of being implicated in this."
Mr Johnson added: "The three obsessions I have for the UK and the world at this G7 summit are clearly the state of global trade, I'm very worried about the way it's going, the growth of protectionism, of tariffs that we're seeing.
"The UK thrives mightily on being an open, outward-looking free trading nation."
He said his other two "obsessions" for the weekend were improving female education around the world, and tackling threats to bio-diversity.
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After touching down yesterday afternoon Mr Trump and Mr Macron had a lunch meeting where the US President said the pair had been "friends for a long time" and paid tribute to their "special relationship".
After Mr Macron thanked him for coming, Mr Trump said: "So far, so good - the weather is perfect, everyone is getting along, I think we'll accomplish a lot this weekend."
G7 2019
This weekend a ring of steel has been set up around the site where world leaders have met for talks in Biarritz, as protesters assembled.
Riot police briefly used water cannons and tear-gas to disperse protesters, as a cop helicopter circled over the heads of dozens of masked activists.
A few protesters threw rocks at police but the crowd in Bayonne was largely peaceful, with some activists dancing.
The clash took place near a bridge barricaded by police as part of extensive security measures.
Before the summit Mr Macron thrust the rainforest fires to the top of the agenda.
He touched on it again in a national address, which took place just as Mr Trump touched down in the French seaside resort.
Macron also called for an end to the trade wars he said are "taking hold everywhere".
Also known as the Group of Seven, the leaders meeting this weekend represent more than 62 per cent of the global net wealth ($280trillion).
The group was founded in the early 1970s as the seven countries discussed concerns about the collapse of the oil industry.
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Since then, 43 summits have been held across the globe as members discuss everything from the environment to the economy.
The group was previously known as the G8 and counted Russia among its members, but Russia has been excluded since annexing the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in early 2014.
Issues on the agenda at the G7 include the global economy, tackling inequality and responding to the challenges of the digital age and the rise of artificial intelligence.
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US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania arrive in Biarritz for the G7 summit
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